Now that everyone (educator and student) is aware of the learning goal and the criteria
for success; how will everyone know that they have arrived?
Once you’ve established the classroom learning goals, the next step is to determine how students
will demonstrate that they have accomplished this goal.
Not only do you have to create a measurement of student success that is aligned with the
classroom learning goals, you need to determine the success criteria.
This criteria will outline how students and the teacher both know that they have mastered
the goal.
One example of the output from determining the success criteria may be a co-created rubric.
One thing to remember is that the success criteria should be created with the students
at the beginning of the instruction, so they know what the end game is and what success
looks like.
It is not cheating to provide the criteria to the students, so they know what is expected
- instead, it is good practice!
This criteria also can be used by the students along the way to monitor their progress.
Assessments should not be a game of “stump the chump” with the teacher looking to fail
as many students as possible.
Remember the goal is to provide the opportunity and appropriate support for all students to
accomplish the goals!
Determining the success criteria upfront outlines the target for you and the students.
This target is also a key factor in selecting your instructional strategies, individualized
pathway, and learning activities.
If your goal is to have students build a viable argument including research, then don't have
them practice writing narrative text.
You teach them how to build a viable argument including research through demonstrating and
explaining the key components, and then you provide the opportunity to practice doing
that skill and provide feedback.
This continues until they can successfully build a viable argument including research.
Do you test this skill with a multiple choice assessment?
No!
You ask them to build a viable argument including research!
Your goals, assessment and strategies must be aligned!
Now that you have the success criteria, how are the students going to meet these criteria?
Recall that classroom learning goals are personal learning goals set by you and the students.
Setting these goals collaboratively allows you to work with the students to design pathways
for success and a plan for getting “there“ that works for them.
There are many types of learners, each bringing a different background, culture and learning
style to the table, and the same pathway will not work for every student.
Some will need to zig while others zag.
There is always more than one way to reach a goal, so make sure you keep an open mind
to new ideas and work with the students to design their pathway and take their suggestions!
Through intentional instructional practices that encompass increased rigor, relevance
to students’ lives and engaging, culturally responsive teaching, you increase the probability
that all students will succeed!
So, determine the success criteria early and reference them often!
Post them all over the classroom and remind the students what is expected of them.
Have students own it and monitor their progress.
Provide opportunities for them to practice and measure themselves against the criteria,
and watch the success rates soar!